Second Chances
by CapeCodPhoenix
Summary: After everything that's happened, Rachel thinks Quinn Fabray is a heartless bitch, but what happens when Quinn admits how she really feels about the brunette? Faberry. *on hiatus*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is mostly A/U. The characters will be mostly the same, Rachel will be a little more cynical. It's written in third person, but still from a character's POV. First Rachel's, then Quinn's. I'm working on a couple Crossovers with Glee, but this is my first fic in the Glee world.**

* * *

Rachel Berry was strong. She had to be to endure the penitentiary some people claim to be the greatest four years of their lives. And she's sure that for some people it is the greatest four years of their lives, or if not the greatest, definitely among them. But that was for people like the jocks, the popular kids. It was for people who were self-serving and power-hungry, people who would peak during or shortly after high school, maybe college. High school was built for people who had it all, people like Quinn Fabray.

Quinn Fabray had it all, at least as far as Rachel could see. Quinn was pretty. No. That was an understatement. Quinn was stunning, freaking gorgeous; she was absolutely beautiful, almost like a goddess, especially when compared to the other teens at McKinley High. Quinn was the queen bee, or as they would be more likely to say at McKinley, the Head Bitch in Charge. She captained the Cheerios, even as a freshman, which, even if she hadn't pretty much held the school in the palm of her hands, gave her free reign over the student body population, and more importantly, it got her Coach Sylvester's backing, which meant she pretty much had the faculty in the palms of her hands as well. She was the captain of the celibacy club, which kind of gave her a wholesome vibe to those who didn't know better. And, of course, she was dating the quarterback (talk about a cliché), Finn Hudson.

If she was being honest though, Rachel could see the big deal about Quinn Fabray, but she didn't quite understand what the big deal with Finn Hudson was. He wasn't exactly what you'd call good-looking. He was okay, not completely repulsive like that Jacob kid with the Jewfro, but he wasn't a looker. He wasn't even that good of a player. In her opinion, which didn't really mean much since she didn't know much about sports, at least not ones like football, if you're on a team that loses as badly as McKinley's does, even being the quarterback shouldn't give you much pull. Really, the only things the poor boy had going for him was that he was the quarterback and he's dating Quinn.

But Rachel wasn't like these people. Rachel knew before she'd even entered the doors her freshman year that high school would not be anywhere near the best four years of her life. She knew that she was destined for bigger and better things than to peak in high school in a middle of nowhere town like Lima. She was fated to be a Broadway star, and one day people like Finn Hudson and David Karofsky would be pumping her gas when she was in town visiting her fathers. She knew that when she finally made it, the stories of how she'd been thrown in dumpsters and been given slushie facials nearly every day in high school would just serve as an inspiration to a young girl like her who had ambition that was sorely unappreciated by her adolescent peers.

This year was going to be better though. This year Mr. Ryerson was gone and another teacher had apparently stepped up to coach the, what would otherwise be disbanded, glee club. Rachel hoped that Mr. Schuester would be a better advisor than Mr. Ryerson had been and would see and take advantage of her obvious talents.

Rachel smiled as she carefully wrote her name on the audition list for the new glee club, placing her signature gold star at the end. This would be the one thing during school that she would look forward to, this would be the one good thing.

Rachel turned and walked away from the board. She made it no more than ten feet away when she felt the harsh chill of yet another slushie being thrown her way. She just stood there in the middle of the hallway, wiping the slushie away from her eyes so that she could open them when she heard it. It was a sound she was so attuned to after the last year.

The laughter of Quinn Fabray.

Rachel's head whipped automatically in the direction of Quinn's laughter. It was a natural reaction, Rachel thought, to want Quinn Fabray. And in way, she, like most everyone in the school, wanted Quinn Fabray, but when you look like Quinn Fabray, it's not surprising that everyone is drawn to you. At the same time, though, Rachel _hated_ Quinn.

Quinn was heartless. She took no mercy on those deemed losers at the school. In fact, she took no mercy on anyone. She was so vindictive and vengeful and downright despicable that Rachel couldn't see how she or anyone else could possibly be interested in the likes of Quinn Fabray even with her hot body. In short, Quinn Fabray was a bitch. Rachel was quite sure that the only good thing about Quinn was her heavenly looks.

Rachel glared at Quinn and her sidekicks, Santana and Brittany, before releasing a huff and stalking off to the bathroom clean herself up and change into some not so sticky clothes.

She was more than relieved to find that the bathroom was indeed empty aside from herself, allowing her to clean and change, for what she was quite sure would only be the first of many times today.

She wasn't sure why she seemed to be targeted more than anybody else, but she was pretty sure that it had something to do with Quinn Fabray, and her apparent hatred for her. Rachel didn't know what she'd done to piss off the ice queen, but obviously, she must've done something. She wasn't sure how she'd have done something, after all, the slushie facials started coming the first day of high school, and that had been the first day Rachel had ever _seen_ Quinn. She'd never actually spoken a word to the Cheerio.

Rachel was grateful when she made it to seventh period before she'd been slushied again. And once again she'd heard the enchanting laughter of Quinn Fabray. She was simply drawn to that magical sound, even if Quinn was laughing _at_ her. And somehow, it always stood out, every single time she'd been slushied it'd been followed by that laugh. She wondered what she would do if she got slushied and the laugh didn't follow. Would she be disappointed? It was just something she expected, something she craved even, it was the only upside to getting slushie facials, not that she cared for Quinn. Quinn was a superficial bitch, but she had the most delightful laugh.

Rachel mentally compared her slushie situation to that of Pavlov's dogs, and then laughed out loud herself. I mean why shouldn't she laugh right now? She was standing in the middle of a hallway covered in sticky flavored frozen ice with everyone around her laughing and she was mentally comparing herself to dogs, what about that _wasn't_ funny?

She could feel everyone staring at her, simply because she was laughing. Of course they didn't know _why_ she was laughing, not that she'd tell any of them. Who laughs after a slushie facial? Rachel Berry does apparently. She made a mental note that she'd probably be completely drenched tomorrow, and the furious glares she's getting from Quinn and the Cheerios confirm the thought.

She sighs heavily, and once again makes her way to the bathroom to take care of the slowly melting ice dripping from her.

When it's finally time for the glee auditions, Rachel is thrilled. She knows she's an excellent singer, and she'll have no problem getting into glee club. What she doesn't know is how few people are even auditioning, which makes getting into glee club simple: all you have to do is sign up and sing. You don't even have to sing well, you just have to sing.

But Rachel being Rachel, she sings her heart out. She was originally going to sing something from a Broadway show. It makes sense right? But at the last minute she decides to sing something different.

"Next" Mr. Schuester calls from the middle of the auditorium.

Rachel walks quickly and confidently to the center of the stage.

* * *

Quinn Fabray held her head up high, as she always did, holding back a smirk as the people parted in front of her like the red sea. She knew what she had to do to survive and she did it. She wasn't going back to how it had been before high school. She was _never_ going back to that. She didn't care that nobody really knew her. Aside from Brittany and Santana, of course, but even they didn't _really_ know her.

She knew that in high school who you are isn't nearly as important as who people _think_ you are. She lets people think she's a bitch, in fact, she even forces herself to act like a bitch, which is hard because she really doesn't want to do most of the things she does. Sure, she rarely does anything mean, she usually orders someone else to do her dirty work for her, but she knows what it's like to be considered one of the losers, so it really kills her inside to be treating other people that way. She'd never let that show though. Not here.

It hits her like a ton of bricks, the insanely familiar smell of vanilla that could only mean one thing. Rachel Berry is near. Quinn doesn't hate Rachel, though she'd fooled everyone into thinking she did. The truth was, Quinn wanted Rachel to hate her, so that she'd know there was no possibility of getting her. She, Quinn Fabray, could not be gay, could not like girls. Not only would it kill her reputation that she's worked so hard to maintain, it was a sin! Her father would kill _her_.

Quinn texts one of the football players, and ninety seconds later, Rachel is covered in a grape slushie. She sees Rachel wipe away the ice from her eyes, and unconsciously lick her lips. She secretly wishes that she could be the one licking Rachel's lips, but keeps her sinful thoughts carefully concealed. She forces herself to laugh, as she does every time she sees Rachel get slushied, which is _every time_. She feels bad for laughing, and sees the brunette glare at her. Quinn thinks it won't be much longer before she has no chance with the loser, which is precisely what she wants. What she _needs_.

Because Rachel Fucking Berry haunts her. Sure, her sense of fashion needs a little work, but Quinn knows the girl is beautiful. She's not entirely sure, other than her own work, of why the girl is considered a loser. She supposes it might have something to do with the glee club, or the way she rattles on when she talks, though Quinn finds it adorable. Rachel even stars in Quinn's dreams, leaving Quinn very frustrated. She tries to make her father proud, not that he'd ever know, by not having sex, even with herself, she never lets herself get that relief that she so desperately needs.

Quinn couldn't help herself. She knew she was in trouble from the _instant_ she'd laid eyes upon the girl, and she's been fighting bother herself and Rachel ever since. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. But there it was. Her darkest secret. Well one of them anyway.

Quinn is standing by her locker talking to Santana and Brittany and a few of the other Cheerios when the scent of vanilla assaults her senses again. It isn't long before Rachel is drenched in yet another slushie. In fact, she ordered Rachel to be slushied so often that she's fairly confident that she has half her wardrobe hidden somewhere in the school.

Quinn forces herself to laugh at Rachel again, feeling bad about it for the millionth time. Only this time it's different. This time Rachel begins to laugh too. She hasn't moved an inch since Karofsky covered her in purple ice and she was standing there dripping and _laughing_. What the hell? Why was she laughing? I narrowed my eyes, furious that she could possibly be becoming immune to my long-lasting attempts to get her to hate me completely. She was therefore promoting my suffering. I resolved to make tomorrow a living hell for her.

Coach Sylvester calls Quinn into her office. She begins ranting to the young blonde about how infuriating and unjust it is that the huge Cheerios budget got cut ever so slightly for the reformation of the Glee Club. Quinn's mostly tuning her out, because, well because for the sake of what's left of her sanity, that's just what she had to do. She caught a few words here and there, listening just enough to provide the correct responses.

Coach Sylvester drags Quinn to the top of the auditorium to spy on what would eventually be the Glee Club. They watch as the kids audition. There's just five of them total, and the four that have auditioned so far are decent, but nowhere near good enough to have a chance at winning regionals, which is what they needed to do in order to maintain the club.

Quinn stares wide-eyed as Rachel steps out on the stage. She should have known that Rachel would be here, after all Rachel had been in the glee club last year under the supervision of that Mr. Ryerson guy who'd been fired on charges of molesting a male student or something of the sort.

"My name is Rachel Berry," she says.

Quinn wonders what song she'll sing. She also wonders if Rachel's any good. She hopes for her own sake that she's not, because she's always had a thing for _good_ singers and musicians, and she can't afford to be feeling more for Rachel than she already does. She's having a hard enough time as it is. She also wonders why Rachel didn't announce what song she was singing like the rest of the glee kids.

_It's been a long week  
I've got a slow leak in my left front tire  
I'm sick of where I work  
My boss is such a jerk, don't care if I get fired_.

_My back's about to break  
No money in the bank  
And she don't call me anymore  
I'm down to my last drink, it's time to sell my things_

Quinn's jaw drops. She can't believe it. She can't believe how _amazing_ Rachel sounds right now. She's both furious and completely captivated. She never imagined Rachel to know a band like Love and Theft, but she's pleasantly surprised so far with her rendition of it. Of course, she's also annoyed because, yeah, now what does she do?

_And pack my bags and never look back  
Run a parallel line with the railroad tracks_  
_And make my getaway_

_I'll put the pedal to the metal as the sun goes down_  
_Leave everybody sleeping in this sleepy town tonight_  
_At the break of day_  
_I'll be a runaway_

_A hundred miles in, I got a stupid grin_  
_On my scruffy face_  
_With every cigarette I'm burning my regrets_  
_Don't want to leave a trace_

_And from the rearview, I got a clear view_  
_Of who I used to be_  
_A little bit faster now_  
_Don't want to turn around_

_I'm gonna pack my bags and never look back_  
_Run a parallel line with the railroad tracks_  
_And make my getaway_

_I'll put the pedal to the metal as the sun goes down_  
_Leave everybody sleeping in the sleepy town tonight  
__At the break of day  
__I'll be a runaway, I'll be a runaway_

_It's crazy, I know, to count on this road  
__To give me what I need  
__But with every state line  
__Somehow I find another part of me, yeah, yeah_

_I'm gonna pack my bags and never look back_  
_Run a parallel line with the railroad tracks_  
_And make my getaway_

_I'll put the pedal to the metal as the sun goes down_  
_Leave everybody sleeping in this sleepy town tonight_  
_At the break of day_  
_I'll be a runaway, I'll be a runaway_

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**What do you think? Please review!**

**Song is "Runaway" by Love and Theft**


	2. Chapter 2

Hearing Rachel sing had been the turning point for Quinn. She now knew, without a single doubt, that she wanted the usually ill-dressed brunette, not that she'd had much doubt before, just denial. Quinn wasn't stupid. She knew in order to have any chance of any semblance of a relationship with the shorter girl that she would have to change. Well at least on the outside; she'd never really been the person everyone thought she was, but now she had to stop hiding. At the very least, from Rachel.

Quinn silently thanked God when Coach Sylvester ordered Santana, Brittany and herself to infiltrate the Glee Club a week later. She hadn't yet spoken to the talented singer, but she was sure that Rachel must have noticed the lack of slushie facials she'd been receiving since Quinn had implemented the ban on her after the Glee auditions.

Again, Quinn wasn't stupid. She knew everyone was dying to know why she had taken Rachel "Manhands" Berry off the chopping block, but then, she was Quinn Fabray, and no one dared to test her ruling. Well, Santana might, but Quinn was thankful that, aside from a little groaning and grumbling, she hadn't said much about it.

Quinn saw everyone's jaws drop in disbelief when she entered the room with her top two Cheerios at her side. She'd expected that. Who would've thought that the three of them would willingly join Glee? Nobody. It was, after all, one of the marks of loserdom, at least at McKinley.

What Quinn hadn't expected was to see her beard of a boyfriend looking at Rachel with those damn puppy dog eyes. Thankfully, Finn had had the decency to look ashamed and shrink back into his seat upon seeing his girlfriend.

"What are you doing here?" someone had asked. She wasn't really paying attention to who had spoken, nor did she really care. All she knew was that it hadn't been Rachel nor Finn who had asked, and therefore she didn't give a damn.

"We're here for Glee Club!" Brittany answered whichever loser had voiced the question that had been in all of their minds. Her enthusiasm was generally contagious, though everyone was really too guarded for it to catch at the moment.

The taller blonde Cheerio was truly excited for Glee. She held a childish innocence that none of the other Cheerios had. None of the other students had it either, she saw the world in a different way. A better way.

"Why now?" Rachel asked, her eyes narrowing.

Quinn could tell that they all knew why they were here. Coach Sylvester hadn't made a secret of her distaste for the Glee Club and that her budget was being cut because of it. It was common knowledge that she wanted to destroy the club.

Santana shrugged nonchalantly, "We wanted to audition, but Coach Sylvester said she'd kick us off the Cheerios if we did. We finally got her to change her mind."

It was a lie. Well it was partly a lie. Santana was really the only one who hadn't wanted to audition. Okay, Quinn hadn't either, but that had changed when she heard Rachel sing.

Rachel didn't look convinced. In fact, Quinn was sure that, by the look on Rachel's face, she must know, or at least, she must think that she knows, that Coach Sylvester had asked them to spy on the Glee kids. Which, in fairness, is true.

Of course, what Rachel didn't know was that Quinn wanted no part in Sue Sylvester's antics to annihilate the Glee Club. Quinn wasn't going to offer up any information unless her spot as Head Cheerio was threatened. What Rachel didn't know was that _she_ was the reason Quinn had wanted to join the Glee Club.

"Can they even sing?"

Quinn and Santana's heads spun around to glare at the girl who'd asked the question. The girl who'd had the nerve to question their abilities. Granted, singing wasn't what they were known for, but nobody questioned the HBIC's.

Mercedes cowered under the intensity of their glares.

Quinn sees Santana nod her head ever so slightly. In fact, if she hadn't been looking for it, she wouldn't have been able to tell.

"Mr. Schue," Quinn addressed the curly-haired teacher, "If we may?"

Mr. Schuester nodded, "Of course, the floor is all yours, girls."

Quinn and the girls had decided that they would all sing separate songs. She let the other Cheerios go first, saving her own performance for last. She really wanted Rachel to remember it.

She sat down and watched as Santana made her way to the center of the room.

_Something always brings me back to you_

_It never takes too long  
No matter what I say or do  
I still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone_

Quinn watches as the room goes silent. Santana had achieved her goal. Not only did the whole room know she could sing, she was also singing a more tender song, which nobody really expected from her. Well, aside from Brittany and Quinn.

_You hold me without touch_

_You keep me without chains_

_I never wanted anything so much_

_Than to drown in your love and not feel your rain_

_Set me free, leave me be_

_I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity_

_Here I am and I stand so tall_

_Just the way I'm supposed to be_

_But you're on to me and all over me_

Quinn loves being one of the few people who gets to see this side of Santana, though it's more Brittany's privilege than her own. They should consider themselves lucky to be able to see this.

_You loved me cause I'm fragile_

_When I thought I was strong_

_But you touch me for a little while_

_And all my fragile strength is gone_

_Set me free, leave me be_

_I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity_

_Here I am and I stand so tall_

_Just the way I'm supposed to be  
But you're on to me and all over me_

_I live here on my knees_

_As I try to make you see_

_That you're everything I think I need_

_Here on the ground_

_But you're neither friend nor foe_

_Though I can't seem to let you go_

_The one thing that I still know_

_Is that you're keeping me down_

Even Quinn was quite impressed with Latina's vocal range. Quinn knew she could sing, they'd all sang together on many occasions, but hearing her by herself, without Brittany or Quinn, it was different.

_You're keeping me down_

_You're on to me_

_On to me_

_And all over_

_Something always brings me back to you_

_It never takes too long_

Silence fell over the room. Quinn was sure that nobody wanted to be the first to speak, though Brittany was sporting a huge grin, probably mirroring her own.

Finally Mr. Schuester broke the silence.

"Wow, Santana, that was amazing! We're glad to have you, welcome to Glee!"

Brittany ran up to Santana, wrapping her arms around the brunette and whispering what Quinn could only hope was some sort of congratulatory statement, but was probably really a sexual suggestion that they would play out later. Santana smiled before taking a seat, effectively switching places with the other blonde.

Quinn was excited to see what Brittany had come up with. Brittany was a good singer, but she was a phenomenal dancer. Brittany was Quinn's go-to-girl when she needed help choreographing the Cheerios routines.

_I feel like I've been locked up tight_

_For a century of lonely nights_

_Waiting for someone to release me_

_You're licking your lips  
And blowing kisses my way  
But that don't mean I'm gonna give it away_

_Baby, baby, baby_

_Oh, my body's saying let's go  
Oh, but my heart is saying no_

_If you wanna be with me_

_Baby there's a price to pay_

_I'm a genie in a bottle_

_Gotta rub me the right way_

_If you wanna be with me  
I can make your wish come true_

_You gotta make a big impression_

_Gotta like what you do_

Brittany was killing this. Quinn loved watching the girl move, not in a perverted way. Okay, maybe occasionally in a perverted way, but Quinn was sure she had that effect on everyone. But it was more that, when she danced, she was so graceful and elegant and mesmerizing. It was beautiful, even when she was doing a more sultry dance like the one she was doing now.

_I'm a genie in a bottle baby_

_Gotta rub me the right way honey_

_I'm a genie in a bottle baby_

_Come, come, come on and let me out_

_The music's fading and the lights down low_

_Just one more dance and then we're good to go_

_Waiting for someone who needs me_

_Hormones racing at the speed of light_

_But that don't mean it's gotta be tonight_

_Baby, baby, baby_

_Oh, my body's saying let's go_

_Oh, but my heart is saying no_

_If you wanna be with me_

_Baby there's a price to pay_

_I'm a genie in a bottle_

_Gotta rub me the right way_

_If you wanna be with me_

_I can make your wish come true_

_Just come and set me free baby_

_And I'll be with you_

_I'm a genie in a bottle baby_

_Gotta rub me the right way honey_

_I'm a genie in a bottle baby_

_Come, come, come on and let me out_

_I'm a genie in a bottle baby_

_Gotta rub me the right way honey_

_I'm a genie in a bottle baby_

_Come, come, come on and let me out_

_Oh, my body's saying let's go_

_Oh, but my heart is saying no_

_If you wanna be with me_

_Baby there's a price to pay_

_I'm a genie in a bottle_

_Gotta rub me the right way_

_If you wanna be with me_

_I can make your wish come true_

_Just come and set me free baby_

_And I'll be with you_

_If you wanna be with me_

_Baby there's a price to pay_

_I'm a genie in a bottle_

_Gotta rub me the right way_

_If you wanna be with me_

_I can make your wish come true_

_Just come and set me free baby_

_And I'll be with you_

_I'm a genie in a bottle baby_

_Come, come, come on and let me out_

Quinn was so proud of her best friends, they'd performed amazingly, not that she'd expected anything less. But now it was her turn. She couldn't help but let her thoughts drift to Rachel and whether or not she would like the song she'd chosen. She hoped Rachel would like it. She'd spent a long time trying to figure out what she should sing, hoping to impress the talented diva.

* * *

Although she didn't want to admit it, Rachel knew that they needed the Cheerios. Even with the Cheerios, they didn't have enough people for sectionals, but on top of needing a body count, the Cheerios were good. Santana had surprised her the most. Rachel had figured she would sing some upbeat Top 40 number, but she had gone with something more slow and deep. And Brittany, her vocals were good, but she could definitely help Mr. Schue with choreography because frankly, his was outdated and not very good to begin with.

Rachel couldn't help but wonder what song Quinn had chosen to sing, and what her voice sounded like. She knew that Quinn was likely to have a nice voice as well. Of course, Quinn had everything.

Sure, she was slightly surprised to see the Cheerios had joined them, but at the same time, they were Coach Sylvester's lackeys. That's the only way Coach Sylvester would allow them to join.

Rachel watched Quinn as she walked to the center of the choir room. Quinn was one of those people who it was hard to take your eyes off of. She commanded attention, and not just with her beauty, but simply her presence.

_Everything has its season_

_Everything has its time_

_Show me a reason_

_And I'll soon show you a rhyme_

_Cats fit on the windowsill_

_Children fit in the snow_

_Why do I feel I don't fit in anywhere I go?_

_Rivers belong where they can ramble_

_Eagles belong where they can fly_

_I've got to be where my spirit can run free_

_Got to find my corner of the sky_

Rachel marveled at Quinn's song choice. She had no idea that Quinn knew musicals such as Pippin. And watching the blonde perform the song, Rachel realized she really got into it. Rachel wasn't sure if she was just a good actress or if she was actually relating to the song, but she could sense Quinn's vulnerability in her voice.

It couldn't be that Quinn related to the song, Rachel decided. Quinn Fabray was the definition of fitting in.

_Every man has his daydreams_

_Every man has his goal_

_People like the way dreams have_

_Of sticking to the soul_

_Thunderclouds have their lightning_

_Nightingale's have their song _

_And don't you see I want my life_

_To be something more than long_

_Rivers belong where they can ramble_

_Eagles belong where they can fly_

_I've got to be where my spirit can run free_

_Got to find my corner of the sky_

_So many men seem destined_

_To settle for something small_

_But I won't rest until I know I'll have it all_

_So don't ask where I'm going_

_Just listen when I'm gone_

_And far away you'll hear me singing_

_Softly to the dawn_

_Rivers belong where they can ramble_

_Eagles belong where they can fly_

_I've got to be where my spirit can run free_

_Got to find my corner of the sky_

They were all talented singers. They weren't Rachel Berry talented, but they were good.

Rachel thought she saw Quinn wink at her, but she must have imagined it. Quinn hated Rachel and Rachel hated her right back. Rachel didn't know what she'd done to warrant the blonde's hate, but something told her that you didn't need to do anything for the blonde to hate you.

Quinn smiled at Rachel, which made Rachel feel uneasy. She almost seemed _friendly_. That couldn't be right though. Then again, based on Quinn's performance, she was a talented actress, which meant she could appear friendly in order to deflect from some scheme of humiliation that they have planned. It seemed the more likely option.

The more Rachel thought about it, the more something seemed off. No. Something was definitely off. The last time she had been slushied was the day of Glee auditions. Rachel had angered Quinn that day. She remembered laughing after being slushied, and the intense glare from Quinn. Rachel reasoned that Quinn must be planning some big form of humiliation for her, and therefore she must be wary.

And so Rachel was very wary, particularly when she found herself alone with Quinn after Glee. She wondered what the blonde was still doing here. She just wanted her gone so she could practice in peace, but the cheerleader didn't seem to be going anywhere. Rachel could feel her eyes on her while she was sorting through various sheet music looking for a song that spoke to her.

Rachel couldn't take it anymore, she didn't understand Quinn's presence, so she turned around to yell at her. To ask her what the hell she was still doing here. But Quinn spoke as soon as Rachel turned around.

"Your voice is incredible," Quinn said. She sounded _nervous_. It couldn't be though, why would Quinn Fabray be nervous? Especially when it was only Rachel in the room with her.

Rachel was shocked to say the least. She hadn't expected a compliment. She hadn't expected anything at all.

"Quinn…I…uh…thank you?" Rachel said, not really sure of anything at the moment.

Quinn pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. She slipped it nervously in her fingers before handing it to Rachel.

Rachel took the note from Quinn's hands. This was weird. Why was Quinn handing her a note? Why was Quinn here? Rachel slowly unfolded the note.

_Rachel,_

_Coach Sylvester has bugged the choir room. Can we talk away from Coach's prying ears? Please?_

_Quinn_

Rachel was speechless for a moment, looking franticly between the note and Quinn. What could Quinn Fabray possibly want to talk to Rachel about? It's not like they'd ever spoken before today.

Quinn was the one to break the silence.

"I swear on my popularity that this is not a trick or a trap of any sort," Quinn promised.

Rachel thought it over. Quinn had sworn on her popularity, which everyone knew meant a great deal to her, so Rachel could tell she was being serious.

Rachel looked Quinn in the eye and nodded once. They collected their belongings and as they were leaving the choir room Quinn said, "Your voice really is amazing."

* * *

**What do you think? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Quinn led Rachel to the back entrance of the school and into the woods. Rachel couldn't help but think that this was a bad idea. For all she knew, Quinn could be trying to kill her.

The further into the woods, they got, the more nervous Rachel was. What could she possibly want to talk to Rachel about that needed to be _this_ private? The only thing Rachel could think was that the blonde really did want her dead. She couldn't fathom as to why she hadn't turned and run away at this point, but she supposed it was her unrelenting curiosity that was to blame.

Quinn stopped and Rachel almost ran into her, silently cursing until her jaw went slack at the sight before her. Rachel didn't know that places like this existed in Lima Ohio. It was a hidden oasis, only different. Not that she'd even seen an actual oasis. They were in a clearing in the woods, where the stream ran through it. There was a waterfall that was only seven or eight feet tall which made a pool at the bottom before continuing its flow. There was a small secluded meadow which appeared on the other side of the small beach that had formed on the opposite bank.

Rachel marveled at the sight. Taking everything in.

At least, if Quinn were to kill her here, she'd die surrounded by beauty. She was content with that.

"This is my favorite place in Lima. I come here to think or just to get away from everything," Quinn said.

Rachel was confused. In fact, she wasn't sure that she was even awake. Nothing made sense anyway, so it would stand to reason that she was dreaming, though why she would dream of Quinn was beyond her.

"Why are you telling me this?" Rachel asked carefully, "I mean we hate each other."

Quinn looked torn, like she couldn't decide if she was happy or sad.

"I don't hate you, Rachel," Quinn whispered, "I never hated you, I just, I thought, I couldn't, I didn't know how to, I just…."

Quinn couldn't finish any of the thoughts she had started. Rachel noticed that she seemed hurt, not by Rachel or anything, just in general. Rachel and Quinn stood in silence for a few minutes, both waiting for Quinn to collect herself enough to voice a coherent sentence.

"It's good, that you hate me though, I mean, after all I've done to you," Quinn finally said.

Rachel didn't know what to say. Quinn was right, after all; Rachel had every reason to hate Quinn, and she did. What was there to say?

"It was never you," Quinn said. She paused rethinking her statement, "I mean, it was _always_ you, but it was never your fault. I'm so sorry, for everything. I thought, if you hated me, it would be easier, but it's not."

Rachel couldn't quite understand what Quinn was trying to say. It was like Quinn was talking about some big secret or something, like Rachel was supposed to know what she was referring to, but she didn't.

"When I realized…I imposed a ban on you, you can't be targeted anymore," Quinn said sheepishly.

Rachel had subconsciously already realized that information. It's not like she'd heard anything, but when you've become accustomed to receiving multiple slushie facials a day and suddenly you're not getting any, it's something that you notice.

Rachel wanted to ask why, but she had a feeling that it would be answered with more of Quinn's uncompleted thoughts. Rachel had always assumed Quinn to have more confidence than she was showing at the moment. She wondered if she'd been wrong, or if this was just an off day for her.

"Thank you," Rachel finally said.

Quinn smiled brightly at Rachel, shuffling her feet nervously.

Rachel felt awkward, being alone in the woods with Quinn. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being played, that there was something she didn't know. Well, there were lots of things she didn't know, but she felt as if she were going to be the punch line to some joke, and Quinn was just stalling her until it could be carried out.

"Can I go now?" Rachel asked.

She wasn't exactly sure where she'd be going. She didn't remember the way back to the school.

Quinn's face fell. "I, uh, yeah, if you want to."

Rachel merely nodded and turned in the direction in which she felt was home.

"Rach?" Quinn said hesitantly.

"What, Quinn?" Rachel said, as she turned around. Her voice was laced with annoyance. She didn't want to be here any longer. She didn't want to be around when they got to the punch line.

Rachel saw the hurt flash in Quinn's eyes at her tone.

"Sorry, it's just, you're going the wrong way," Quinn said.

Of course she was.

"Oh."

Rachel contemplated just going that way anyway. She didn't want Quinn to know that she had no idea where she was.

"If you don't mind, I can walk back with you," Quinn offered.

Rachel thought about it for a second. Quinn was offering, she wasn't demanding it, or telling her she couldn't leave. She was simply offering to accompany Rachel back to the safety of the school, not that the school was particularly safe for her, but it was better than being alone in the woods with Quinn Fabray.

"Okay," Rachel said. She didn't really want to be in the company of Quinn Fabray, but the blonde seemed to know her way back and Rachel did not, and that was the only reason she was agreeing to this.

They walked back to the school in silence. Rachel let out a quiet sigh of relief when they emerged from the woods.

"Thank you," Rachel said to Quinn, simply because she was taught to be polite, before power walking to her car and driving off without another word or glance to the cheerleader. It had been such a strange day, and Rachel really needed time to process what it all meant, if anything at all. And that was what she was going to do. Go home and process.


	4. Chapter 4

Quinn had left Rachel alone the next day, and Rachel was glad to have the weekend alone. She was still kind of confused about what had happened in the woods, or why it had happened, but all she knew was that she didn't trust Quinn.

That was the bottom line, she didn't trust Quinn. She was just waiting for whatever mean thing the cheerleader had planned for her. It was because of this that when she felt the sting on cold ice covering her on Tuesday afternoon, she was somewhat relieved to find that they had just been trying to make her feel relaxed before going back to their usual tortures.

But then, something was wrong. The laughter that normally accompanied the corn syrup shower was missing. She wiped the red ice from her eyes and risked opening them, half afraid that she was going to slushied a second time as soon as she opened her eyes.

"WHAT THE HELL!" she heard as she opened her eyes.

The sight in front of her was not one that she expected. Santana had Karofsky pinned against the lockers, the expression on her face was not one she had seen before. Brittany was standing next to her, looking on disapprovingly, though Rachel couldn't tell if Brittany was disapproving of Karofsky or Santana.

"I know you know that the hobbit's off limits because I was there when Quinn told you!" the Latina raged at the bumbling football player. "What did you think that just because Quinn hasn't been here in a few days that you could get away with it?"

So Quinn hasn't been at school. That's why the slushie wasn't followed by laughter. Rachel didn't even notice the point that she was still off limits.

"I don't get what the big deal is," Karofsky said, "she's a _loser_, she deserves it."

Santana growled at the boy, but when Brittany put a hand on her shoulder, she took a deep breath and calmed down. "I don't care if she screwed your mother, she's off limits, and so you and everyone else knows just how serious we are, you're off the football team."

Rachel's jaw dropped. She didn't know what to think. She had really believed that the ban on her was temporary, and that they were planning something big, but now Santana was kicking Karofsky off the team for giving her a slushie facial, and nothing made sense.

Karofsky rolled his eyes, "You don't have that kind of power."

Santana grinned evilly. She pulled out her cell phone. "Puck," she said into the cell phone, "Make sure everyone knows that Karofsky's off the team."

Rachel heard something from the other end of the line, but she couldn't hear what Puck was saying.

Puck was one of the few people she could actually stand in the popular crowd, which probably had something to do with them growing up together and attending temple. He wasn't as bad a guy as he made himself out to be.

"He broke Q's ban." Santana said simply, and it was clear that the discussion was over.

Before she could process everything that had happened, Puck appeared in the hallway, ripping Karofsky's letterman off his body.

"B, go help the hobbit clean up," Santana told the blonde.

* * *

Rachel wasn't stupid, she knew he thought he was being stealthy, but he really needed to work on his tailing skills.

"Noah," Rachel said out loud, successfully keeping the frustration out of her voice, "If you're going to follow me all day, at least you could contribute some meaningful conversation instead of creeping around like a crazed stalker intent on killing me, although if that is your intent I ask that you just get on with it already."

A few moments later, Puck was standing by her side.

"Sup, Jewbabe?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. Puck was one of the few people Rachel had ever really spent time with outside of school. In fact, when they were younger, they used to be friends. He had, in fact, told Rachel that he was going to marry her one day. Of course, that had been when they were in Kindergarten, and things had changed since then. He could, at least, be quite civil towards her when no one was around.

"Noah, just because you and I are both Jewish does not make me your 'Jewbabe' as you so eloquently put it. Now are you going to tell me why you've been utilizing your poor tailing abilities on me, or shall I find another topic for us to converse about?"

Puck looked dumbfounded. "I, uh, what?" he said rather lamely.

Rachel sighed dramatically. "Why are you following me, Noah?" she said simply, knowing that his vocabulary wasn't as advanced as hers was, not that she'd really used many advanced words in this particular instance, but they tended to stumble once they heard one. It wasn't that he wasn't smart. He just wasn't book smart.

"I'm looking out for you, Jewbabe," Puck answered. Rachel rolled her eyes again. He obviously hadn't picked up on her distaste for the nickname.

"Looking after yourself, really," Rachel mumbled to herself. She knew Puck couldn't hear her, he wasn't supposed to. But she knew that if Quinn Fabray had actually ordered her off limits, though she couldn't fathom why the blonde would do such a thing, it wasn't like she had had a problem with her being targeted before, in fact, Rachel would venture to say that Quinn had enjoyed the view of every last slushie that had been thrown her way, then to go against it was practically a death wish, and, if the incident the day before was any indication, any individual who defied the Ice Queen would find themselves in a situation they would not like, and Puck likely wanted to keep the few assets the football team actually had.

* * *

Everyone thought Brittany was dumb, but she wasn't. She just saw the world differently than everyone else. So when everyone else had seen Quinn bitching out Finn because he did something really stupid, she saw Quinn stiffen slightly while correcting Finn's ungentlemanly behavior the second Rachel entered the room or hallway she was currently in. Although how everyone thought Finn was so awesome and thought Brittany was dumb was beyond Brittany. Even if she didn't see all the things that everyone else seemed to miss, she was still smarter than Finn.

So really, Brittany had known how Quinn really felt about Rachel for a while. She also knew how Quinn felt about herself. And most importantly, at least in regard to her, she knew that she could not do anything for Quinn or Rachel until Quinn could accept herself a little bit more.

Brittany had been planning on coercing Quinn into talking about Rachel soon, but Quinn had stopped showing up to school. She thought it was odd because Quinn's car was always in the same place she always parked. Santana had explained to her, though, that Quinn had probably just left her car there. But that meant she had to be around somewhere, right?

"I'm worried about Quinn, San, she's been gone a whole week," Brittany said.


End file.
